Thirty-nine people â" including seven children -- lost their homes when a fire destroyed a dozen apartments Monday, Jan. 7, in Moreno Valley.

James Woodert, 54, said his 25-year-old son awoke to the fire, grabbed his clothes and ran outside to call his father. When Woodert arrived, he saw flames engulfing his third-floor corner apartment at Stonegate at Towngate, a large complex across the street from the Moreno Valley Mall.

âBy the time I got here, all I saw was flames coming out of my apartment and firefighters shooting it with water,â Woodert said. âIâm homeless. I lost everything. What are we supposed to do now?â

The three-story, 12-unit building where the fire broke out was condemned. None of the other 29 buildings in the Stonegate complex was damaged or evacuated.

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The families who lost their homes are being moved to other vacant units. The apartment manager declined to comment and asked reporters to leave because the complex is private property.

As residents and spectators watched the firefight from behind yellow caution tape, American Red Cross workers rushed to the scene and established tables inside the apartment complexâs community center to provide assistance, including lunch from Olive Garden.

The fire broke out about 10:30 a.m. Firefighters arrived to find smoke and flames billowing from the buildingâs attic, fueled by Mondayâs gusty winds. The blaze tore through the building's roof and caused extensive smoke and fire damage to the lower-floor apartments. Cal Fire/Riverside County Fire Department estimated the damage at $1.8 million.

About 60 firefighters battled the blaze on tall ladder trucks and from hose lines. Firefighters walked across the tile roof, cutting holes with axes and dousing hot spots as pieces of charred wood fell and water gushed to the ground.

The fire was contained at 12:15 p.m., the Fire Department said. Investigators had not yet determined the cause. Fire officials at the scene initially said 65 people were displaced from their homes, but that number was revised to 39 Monday evening.

One firefighter was hospitalized for minor injuries. Paramedics evaluated two other people who were having difficulty breathing. No other injuries were reported.

Vauntina Sadler, 44, got the call about the fire from her sister while she was teaching her preschool class in San Bernardino. She burst into tears and rushed home.

âI cried all the way,â Sadler said.

She arrived only to find the charred remains of the apartment tower and firefighters dousing it with water.

âThey wouldnât let you inside. The roof was off and I could see the sky. The flames were still coming off,â Sadler said. âI just know all my stuff is gone. Itâs all gone.â

Follow staff writer John Asbury on Twitter @johnasbury and online at blog.pe.com/crime-blotter

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